GOsC provides evidence on mobility of healthcare professionals

GOsC provides evidence to House of Lords European Union Sub-Committee inquiry into the mobility of healthcare professionals.

The GOsC has submitted evidence to an inquiry into the mobility of healthcare professionals, carried out by the House of Lords European Union Sub-Committee on Social Policies and Consumer Protection.

The enquiry is in response to the European Commission’s plan to revise the current Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive, which is designed to boost professional mobility within the EU.

Under this legislation Member States are required to automatically recognise qualifications in seven professions where training requirement are harmonised, including doctors, nurses, dentists, midwives and pharmacists. The Sub-Committee is investigating how mobility can be encouraged whilst ensuring patient safety.

The GOsC responded to the following questions from the Sub-Committee:

• What benefits are derived by healthcare professionals and patients from mobility?
• What risks have you observed arising from mobility and to what do you attribute those risks?
• Where do you think the balance should lie between a regime covering the mobility of all workers, including non-healthcare workers, with the objective of maintaining high standards of patient safety?
• How content are you with the system of automatic recognition as currently applied to doctors, general care nurses, dentists, midwives and pharmacists?
• What suggestions do you have for improvements?
• Should it be extended at all to other healthcare professionals?
• To what extent do you consider that appropriate systems are in place for administrative cooperation between Member States, particularly as regards the fitness to practise?
• Article 53 of Directive 2005/36/EC requires those benefiting from mobility under the Directive to have knowledge of languages necessary for practising the profession in the host Member State. Are you content that this requirement has been applied satisfactorily as regards healthcare professionals and ought it to be strengthened?
• The Commission refers in its consultation paper to the possible introduction of a European Professional Card. What is your response to this suggestion?
• Under what conditions would it be helpful for healthcare professionals and patients?

You can read the evidence on the External consultations page of this website.